Tips for secure online transactions

In this day and age of the Internet, online transacting has been both a God send and a curse. Because the ease with which we can purchase and sell our goods online has meant savings and cost reductions to both our time and money, but also gives an avenue for people to steal our credit information to transact without our knowledge. All that however can be prevented if we apply common sense and these tips.

Tips for Secure Online Transactions:

1. If it’s possible, do your Online transactions in a separate computer that only you uses and is never used for non work related or recreational activities.
2. Make sure that your computer asks for a password when it boots up in both the Bios and Operating System. Some hard disks have the feature of matching with your motherboard, wherein if it is installed in another computer it won’t function. Use it if possible.
3. Always make sure that nobody uses your computer without consent and log-off to lock the screen when you are away from your computer
4. If you are using a Windows Operating System (XP, Vista, ME, Win98 etc) make sure that you have an Anti-Virus software installed.
5. Always make sure that your operating system is up to date in software patches, so that any security hole can be plugged. Also make sure that you install the latest patches for you Anti virus program and web browser.
6. When conducting online transactions such as paying, make sure that there is a “https” on the url of your browser, this means that you are in a secure connection with the server.
7. If the site requires you to log-in and register before transacting online, make sure that you log-off from your account after you are done. This will prevent people from using your account after you have left the PC.
8. Do not click on links in emails or in unfamiliar web sites. These may lead to malicious web sites which will trick you into revealing personal and financial information or install software that can monitor your activities and steal your passwords and login information.
9. Be wary of unsolicited e-mails, especially those that concern personal / account information. Do not even bother to open them, just delete them right away as they might also install viruses or key stroke tracking software in your computer.
10. Do not open attachments from your friends that are of a personal nature unless you can verify with them that they have sent you that email. These may have viruses or programs in them that can monitor your online transactions
11. Secure your password by:
    • Do not use the “save and remember password” feature of the browser (if it has one) which can store your login and password information.
    • Use a password that is at least 12 characters long, alpha numeric in nature, with both capitalized an uncapitalized letters and is not part of a known word in the dictionary.
    • Do not write down your password or tell it to anybody who has no right to access your account.
    • Change your passwords if you think it has been compromised. Especially if you logged in to your accounts from a computer that is not yours.
12. Never conduct your online transactions in a public computer (Internet cafe, a public terminal offering free Internet connection) as you can never be sure whether there spyware installed to record your transactions.